Why You Should Stop Calling Her Princess Kate

She's spent seven years married to Prince William and just gave birth to their third child (a newborn prince!) yesterday, but us commoners are still waging the Great Kate Debate: Is she Princess Kate or Duchess Catherine? Kate Middleton or Catherine Wales?

Born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, she didn't garner the nickname Kate until adolescence. That's since changed, however. Will refers to "Catherine and I" in speeches — as do other members of the palace.

What's Kate Middleton's official title?

On their wedding day, Catherine took on the female form of her husband's titles — making her Princess William of Wales — the same way a commoner takes her husband's last name. That day, Queen Elizabeth also bestowed the titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on them. For a fun complication, the young royals are also known as Earl and Countess of Strathearn in Scotland and the Baron and Baroness of Carrickfergus in Ireland.

Why isn't she "Princess Kate?"

Now, brace yourself: It was never officially Princess Diana and it will never be Princess Catherine or Kate. You only carry prince or princess before your name if you were born into the role. (The same rule actually applies to Duchess, by the way. Duchess Catherine is not an official thing.) Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and even Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice will all use it their entire lives — unless they become King or Queen.

So when Diana was married to Charles, her name was Diana, Princess of Wales — despite how popular "Princess Di" was. The Queen ordered her stripped of the royal title upon their divorce. (Camilla Parker-Bowles is technically Camilla, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, though she only uses the latter because of the associations.)

Catherine won't be Her Royal Highness Catherine, Princess of Wales — until William becomes the Prince of Wales after his father takes the throne. Once Prince William becomes King, she will become Her Majesty Queen Consort Catherine VI.

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What's her last name now?

Members of the royal family today can go by their family dynasty, a surname, or just their first name, according to the official royal website. Historically, British monarchs were known by the names of the countries over which they ruled or their family dynasty, like the Tudors or Stuarts. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was born a Windsor, and when she wed Philip Mountbatten, they gave their children the last name Mountbatten-Windsor.

At birth, Prince William was also given the name Wales, the area of which his father Charles, Prince of Wales, "ruled" (in addition to being a Mountbatten-Windsor). As a student at Eton and St. Andrews, he was William Wales; as an RAF pilot, he was referred to as Flight Lieutenant William Wales.

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But he technically should use Cambridge now. This quirk is because being born a prince or princess is more of a courtesy title (see: Eugenie and Beatrice). Duke of Cambridge is a more "major" title than being a non-sovereign prince of Wales, since he it designates him as a "peer of the realm." So a very casual Kate could go by Catherine Cambridge, and the same goes for George, Charlotte, and their baby brother at school.

So why is she still called Kate Middleton?

For one, it's the name everyone knows. Kate first became a celebrity when she started dating Prince William back in 2003, and old habits die hard. Plus, the complexities of royal titles (see above!) can create confusion for the casual fan, especially if she goes by different titles in different circumstances and will ultimately adopt new ones in the future.

The internet also drives some of the informalness. People search for "Kate Middleton" on average 823,000 times per month; the query "Duchess of Cambridge" gets used just 90,500 times in the same span. Publishers competing for views will strategically employ whatever names people Google most, even if they're not the most formal ones.

Getty ImagesAntony Jones/Julian Parker/Mark Cuthbert/UK Press

It's also a subtle reminder of her more humble origins as a commoner, and the fairytale romance that vaulted her to royalty now, Vanity Fairtheorized in 2016.

"It doesn’t hurt her that the American press especially refers to her as Kate Middleton," Boston University professor Arianne Chernock, who focuses on modern British history, explained. "It’s precisely her middle-class origins, and that name, which won her over to so many people in the first place. So that reminder can only help her."

So while "Kate Middleton" may not technically count as correct, using it almost qualifies as a compliment to the Duchess's charm and character.

Asher FogleWriterWhen she’s not hunting for compelling personal stories or justifying her love for dessert, Asher can likely be found watching early-2000s TV on Netflix with her husband.

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